Infant formula device

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for accurately dispensing a powder such as powdered infant formula into a container, and pasteurizing and reconstituting the powdered formula while completely mixing the formula in the container. The apparatus includes a hopper assembly for storing powder, a dosing assembly for measuring and dispensing powder from a receptacle into the container, a dilution assembly and a mixing assembly for obtaining accurately and completely mixed formula from the dispensed powder. The hopper is shaped to promote powder bridging, and the resulting powder bridge is used in combination with the dosing assembly to provide a predetermined amount of powder using a single mechanical valve that is isolated from the powder. The mixing assembly mixes the contents of the container while holding the bottle at a fixed angle relative to the vertical. A method of providing pasteurized infant formula from an infant formula powder is also disclosed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional No. 61 / 187,949, filed on Jun. 17, 2009. The contents of the application are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing, reconstituting and mixing a beverage from a powder, and related methods.[0003]Although liquid infant formulas are available, powdered infant formula (PIF) is widely used due to its portability, ease and length of storage, and relative inexpense. However, preparation of formula from PIF can be messy and inconvenient, and the PIF can be contaminated during handling and preparation. To address these issues, automated infant formula preparation devices have been developed. Although using an automated infant formula preparation device to prepare the infant formula can avoid contamination associated with PIF handling, PIF as provided by the manufacturer is not guaranteed to be fr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]The mixing assembly mixes the contents of the container while holding the bottle at a fixed angle relative to the vertical to achieve full and uniform mixing of the PIF, even for high concentrations of PIF. The resulting formula is substantially free from lumps or bubbles.

[0017]A method of providing pasteurized infant formula from an infant formula powder is also disclosed. The method provides pasteurization and subsequent cooling to quickly and easily provide a formula at a desired temperature, for example, body temperature.

Problems solved by technology

Although liquid infant formulas are available, powdered infant formula (PIF) is widely used due to its portability, ease and length of storage, and relative inexpense.

However, preparation of formula from PIF can be messy and inconvenient, and the PIF can be contaminated during handling and preparation.

Although using an automated infant formula preparation device to prepare the infant formula can avoid contamination associated with PIF handling, PIF as provided by the manufacturer is not guaranteed to be free of microorganisms that can cause illness or spoilage.

For example, PIF is difficult to pour and difficult to meter because the infant formula granules are irregular and are prone to bridging, packing, or sticking to itself or to the container walls.

Automating the PIF dispensing process is difficult because the PIF does not pour consistently or repeatably, and because each type of PIF flows and packs differently.

It is difficult to reconstitute the PIF into a homogeneous liquid that is free of bubbles and / or powder lumps.

The very light powder has a tendency to be carried in the air to other parts of the machine which can cause difficulty in cleaning the device or maintaining reliable mechanism operation.

Thus, although powder bridging is often considered in the art to be disadvantageous, the device disclosed herein takes advantage of this property, and uses it to achieve accurate, repeatable dosing of powder and to do so using relatively few mechanisms within the device.

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